Showdown Hold'em table

J-6 offsuit falls below the profitable preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop or decide on the river.

Jack-high has no pair or strong draw on this flop. Checking preserves the option to decide after seeing the remaining cards.

The board pair means the dealer always qualifies. My jack kicker can still beat enough dealer holdings to make a 1x raise better than folding.

Ace-king suited is a strong preflop hand and a clear 4x raise.

J4 suited is below the recommended preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop.

Jack-high with a gutshot straight draw is not strong enough to commit a 2x raise on this flop. Checking preserves the option to decide on the river.

My jack kicker beats enough dealer holdings that the river raise is preferable to forfeiting the ante and blind.

Any ace is a recommended preflop 4x raise; ace-five offsuit has enough equity to commit now.

Offsuit 7-6 falls outside the recommended preflop raising range; checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop.

Top pair is strong enough to raise on this flop, despite the modest kicker and possible heart draws.

J-2 offsuit is too weak for a preflop raise. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop or decide on the river.

With no pair, no immediate draw, and only one overcard, this hand is too weak to justify a 2x raise. Checking preserves the option to decide on the river.

J-high wins too rarely on this board to justify the river bet. Folding avoids additional losses against the dealer's many qualifying hands.

7-3 offsuit is too weak for a preflop raise; checking preserves the option to act after seeing the flop.

I have a pair of sevens using a hole card, which is strong enough to raise on the flop despite the weak kicker and king on the board.

Suited 7-6 has potential to improve, but it is not strong enough for a preflop raise. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop.

Middle pair on the flop is strong enough to raise against a random dealer hand, despite the king and club draw.

Any ace is a standard 4x preflop raise, including A-5 offsuit.

K7 offsuit is in the recommended preflop 4x range (K5 offsuit or better).

Offsuit 6-5 is below the recommended preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop.

The 5 and 6 give me an open-ended straight draw: any 3 or 8 completes it. That is strong enough to raise on the flop.

J-8 offsuit is below the recommended preflop raising range, so checking preserves the option to reassess on the flop.

J-8 has no pair or strong draw on the K-3-2 flop. Checking avoids committing a 2x play bet with a weak hand and preserves the river decision.

Jack-eight gives me useful kickers on this ace-high board. Although many dealer holdings beat me, calling costs only one ante and has better expected value than folding.

K9 suited is in the recommended preflop 4x range, and raising now captures value from its high-card strength and flush potential.

8♦7♦ is below the recommended preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop or decide on the river.

I have only an inside straight draw and no made hand. Checking avoids a 2x commitment with limited chances of winning.

With only ace-high and an eight kicker, this hand loses to any dealer pair and many unpaired holdings. A 1x raise is unlikely to recover the additional chips at risk.

Any ace is in the recommended preflop 4x range; A-4 offsuit is strong enough to raise now.

J9 offsuit falls below the recommended preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop.

J-9 is unpaired on the 3-5-7 flop, with no immediate flush or straight draw. Checking preserves the option to decide after seeing the river rather than committing a 2x raise now.

Jack-high is unlikely to beat the dealer on this board, and it cannot beat a qualifying pair. The chance of winning against an unqualified dealer is too small to justify the play bet.

6-3 offsuit is too weak for a profitable preflop raise. Checking preserves the option to raise if the flop improves the hand.

Bottom pair is a made hand against the dealer’s random holdings. Raising now captures the larger play payout when it holds up.

9-4 offsuit is outside the recommended preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to act after seeing the flop.

Nine-high has no pair or immediate straight or flush draw on this flop. Checking preserves the option to fold on the river rather than committing a 2x raise.

With only the board’s pair of threes and a nine kicker, this hand beats too few possible dealer holdings to justify the river bet.

J6 offsuit falls below the recommended preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to decide after seeing the flop.

J-high has no pair or strong draw on this flop. Checking preserves the option to decide after seeing the full board.

My jack kicker beats enough dealer hands on this two-pair board to make the final raise better than folding, despite the substantial chance of losing.

Pocket aces are the strongest starting hand and warrant the maximum preflop raise.

T8 suited is below the recommended preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise after seeing the flop.

Middle pair with a flush draw has strong equity against the dealer’s unknown hand, making the 2x flop raise preferable to waiting.

Unsuited 4-3 is below the profitable preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop or decide on the river.

With 3-4 on a Q-7-Q flop, I have little showdown strength and only a backdoor flush draw. Checking preserves the option to decide on the river rather than committing a 2x raise now.

My hand plays the board, so I cannot beat the dealer; I can only tie or lose. Folding costs less than raising against the many dealer holdings that beat the board.

K-J offsuit is within the recommended preflop 4x raising range (K-5 offsuit or better).

Any ace is in the optimal preflop 4x range, and A-Q offsuit is a strong holding.

J-To is in the published optimal preflop 4x raising range.

K-Q offsuit is in the recommended preflop 4x raising range.

T6 offsuit is below the recommended preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop.

Ten-six has no pair or strong draw on this ace-high flop. Checking preserves the option to make a smaller decision on the river.

My best hand is the board, so I cannot win outright, but many dealer holdings also play the board and tie. Raising loses less on average than folding because the dealer improves less than two-thirds of the time.

Unsuited 5-4 is below the profitable preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop or decide on the river.

I have only a gutshot straight draw and a backdoor flush draw, with no made hand. Checking preserves the option to decide on the river without committing a 2x raise now.

My pair of sevens has a weak kicker and beats very few possible dealer hands. A 1x raise is unlikely to recover the extra chips at risk.

Any ace is in the recommended preflop 4x range; A-4 offsuit is strong enough to raise now rather than wait.

J5 suited falls below the recommended preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop.

J-high on a dry Q-7-2 flop has little immediate strength or draw potential. Checking preserves the option to decide on the river rather than committing a 2x raise.

The board gives me two pair with a jack kicker. Enough dealer holdings have a lower kicker that a 1x raise is better than folding.